Blade 230s and Trex 250 repairs completed!

I managed to finish repairs to both my 230s and 250, which I crashed a couple of weeks ago within days of each other.  The 230 was simple to fix. I glued the cracked frame back together, replaced the broken main gear, and installed a new set of landing gear. I checked both the main and spindle shafts; both were not bent :).  There's no way to set the blade pitch as the links are a fixed length. You can only level the swash and set the max and min pitch, which shouldn't have changed as the swash links were not damaged. Repair and setup done!

The 250 on the other hand required much more work. Both dfc links were broken, a dfc rod was bent, and a blade grip arm bent. The spindle shaft didn't break this time, but was bent. I also had to replace a bearing block that I broke while trying to get the main shaft out of the locked up one way bearing. However, all the parts have been replaced with new ones, but I still need to repeat the head and tail setup. 

Next time I fly the 250, I'm only doing 1 test flight, then grounding it for at least a month!  This way I won't crash it for at least a month. Lol!

Big ass plane is here!

My new 48" P51d Mustang arrived last night. This thing is bigger than I expected!  The box didn't even fit in the trunk of my car!  I had to put it in the front seat!

Box contents. The box's length came up to under my chin!

Assembly was pretty easy.  I did need to solder a Deans connector onto the speedo though as I don't use EC3's, which is the connector it came with. The hardest part was deciding how to route the servo wires from the wing into the fuselage and keep them tidy. I also needed to figure out how to tape the 2 antenna wires in a 90 deg position to each other. I ended up orienting the short antenna up and routing the long antenna towards the back of the plane in parallel to the fuselage. This way the 2 antennas were 90 degrees to each other. 

After figuring that out, I plugged in the battery and tested the control surfaces, flaps, and landing gear. The retractable landing gear was cool!

Size comparison between my 14" UMX P51 and the 48" P51!

What am I getting myself into?!?

Big ass plane on the way!

I caved and bought a 48" wingspan P51D Mustang!  It flys on a 3s 2200mah battery, the same packs as my Trex 450. 

It also has flaps and retracting landing gear :)

It is my bday present to myself this year. Last year it was the Goblin 380.

Crashed the 230s :(

Well I crashed the 230s!  I dumb thumbed it backwards into the ground practicing nose in hovering.  It happened so fast I didn't even think of hitting the rescue button!  I just turned off the motor as the heli impacted the ground.

Damaged parts for far:
Main frame
Landing gear
Stripped main gear
Tail fin
Cracked my new fiberglass canopy :(

I've already super glued the main frame and tail fin back together.  I managed to tape up the cracks in the canopy.  I've already ordered some new landing gear and a main gear.  I also picked up some spare main and spindle shafts just in case those were bent in the crash.

Oh well.  I've been having a lot of fun flying this heli, and rescue has saved it a bunch of times already while practicing inverted hovering.

Crashed the 250 yet again!

I managed to crash the 250 again on its 5th flight during the 1st session after rebuilding it. :-/

I was test flying it after the last crash and it was flying great!  I even did a few loops and nose in turns :). But it was getting a bit windy and while spinning the heli tail in to prepare for landing I over rotated, lost orientation, then tried to level it, and banked into the ground :(

Damage so far is:

Blade grip

Dfc link

Dfc ball links

Feathering shaft

Main shaft

Main shaft bearing block

I already have most of the parts, expect the main shaft bearing block, which I broke while removing the main shaft, because the one way bearing locked up causing the main gear to become stuck on the main shaft. :-/

Sunset session, SEFSD, Saturday 4/16/16

I tried to fly at Hoyt park mid afternoon, but it was way too windy!  My chair even blew over!  While waiting for the wind to die down, I installed my new fiberglass canopy in a bright orange and green, for my 230s. 

The wind never did die down, so I went to the SEFSD field an hour or so before sunset, hoping that the wind would be gone by then. 

Sun in your face in the takeoff direction of the runway. No wonder nobody flies here in the late afternoon. 

Pic of my Eflite UMX Habu EDF jet. 

Another pic of my new fiberglass canopy for the Blade 230s. 

Hoyt Park,Thursday 4/14/16

I tried to do some loops but was having trouble telling if the heli was flat and it was freaking me out!  I kept aborting and doing a banked right turn or stall turn. Lol

Ming flying his Mikado 480, before he crashed it doing an inverted nose in turn. 

FPV racers practicing for the race at SEFSD on Saturday. 

My Goblin 380 with no canopy waiting for the next flight. 

Mikado Vcontrol Radio

I've been flying with my new Vcontrol radio for my 380 everyday after work so far this week. The ease of making tuning adjustments is awesome!  I've been playing around with the head style, agility, and gain looking for the feel I want. 

I plan to get another Vbar Neo so that I'll be able to fly my 450 and 550 on my Vcontrol also :)

Foam plane repairs

So. I finally got some foam safe ca glue. I ended up with 2 types. One requires a catalyst the other does not. 

I bought the catalyst which I needed for one type of ca, but ended up using the one which didn't require it, as it was easier to apply. Oh well. Maybe I'll try the other glue some other time. 

1st SEFSD session of 2016

I flew at my club for the 1st time this year, on 4/3/16, as my friend wanted to try the drone race track and I wanted to use my membership here. I've mostly been flying at Hoyt St park, as it's closer to home. 

Trying out my new Blade 230s!

My badass Goblin 380!

My friend got a pic of the 380 in a hover :)